CJCJ has compiled a wealth of statistics detailing the different levels at which California's 58 counties send their residents to correctional institutions. Explore the interactive map to view population-adjusted rates of adult and juvenile arrests and incarcerations.

Imprisonment costs

Imprisonment costs

State incarceration costs (based on the Legislative Analyst's estimated annual cost to incarcerate one prisoner) are displayed as dollar amounts per adult felony arrest for each county. This comparison shows the relative costs each county imposes on state taxpayers due to their use of state prison.

State prison incarceration rate

State prison incarceration rate

Populations held in state prison as of Dec. 31 are shown per 1,000 adult felony arrests, compared to the state average. Counties' varying reliance on state prison to house their criminal justice population demonstrates their sentencing practices.

Total incarceration rate

Total incarceration rate

Total adult incarcerated populations (state prison + county jail) as of Dec. 31 are displayed per 1,000 adult felony arrests. Counties' vary in their use of incarceration to manage their criminal justice populations.

Prisoners held locally

Prisoners held locally

Jail populations are shown as a percent of each county's total incarcerated population (state prison + county jail) as of Dec. 31. The percentages of the county's incarcerated adult population that are held locally indicates each counties' varying use of local as opposed to state incarceration options.

Un-sentenced inmates

Un-sentenced inmates

Un-sentenced jail inmates are shown as a percentage of each county's average daily jail population as of Dec. 31. The percentage of the county's jail population that is un-sentenced but remains detained may be because of inability to post bail, public safety or flight risk, or slow criminal justice processing.

Reported crime rate

Reported crime rate

Part I crimes (aggravated assault, forcible rape, murder, robbery, arson, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft) reported to police are shown for each county per 100,000 adults age 18-69. The rate of offenses reported to police by county, an indicator of community exposure to crime, provides a basis for understanding county agencies' incarceration rates and overall responses to criminal offenders.

Poverty rate

Poverty rate

The rates of each county's adult residents age 18-64 living in households with incomes below poverty guidelines (five year average, 2006-2010). This comparison provides additional socio-economic information that can be utilized as an indicator of crime and arrest policies.

The importance of data

Data-driven research is crucial to analyzing criminal and juvenile justice policy. In California, statewide appointed governmental bodies compile and maintain data that are regularly relied upon by local government, the legislature, state and federal agencies, and other criminal justice stakeholders.

Improved data collection and accessibility is essential to California as it continues to pursue justice reform. Currently counties do not uniformly collect data on their local justice systems, and statewide agencies do not provide full access to their redacted data files. Other agencies, such as California’s Center for Health Statistics are already providing this level of transparency and accountability through publicly available electronic database systems. These data hold valuable information for strategies towards greater public safety locally, as well as that of California and the nation.

† Confinement rates use the average daily population (ADP) in state and local correctional facilities in the given calendar year. This includes individuals who were arrested and sentenced prior to that calendar year, as most sentences span several years. Thus, counties often house more individuals in correctional facilities than they have felony arrests, in any given year. Counties may experience no felony arrests in a given year, but still have residents serving time in correctional facilities. In addition, some counties do not have institutional facilities locally. In these cases, the rate value is not calculable, because the divisor equals 0.

About

Since 1985, CJCJ has conducted premier research and policy analysis promoting more effective approaches to criminal and juvenile justice policies, which further long-term public safety. CJCJ has published numerous reports on topics ranging from juvenile justice reform to analyses of drug policy enforcement.

In 2009, CJCJ developed the California Sentencing Institute as the foundation for data and research driven commentary on the broader public policy dialogue. The interactive map presents detailed crime and incarceration numbers, rates, and trends for California and each of its 58 counties. This resource is designed to provide comprehensive analysis of sentencing policies and practices across the state.

Please note: Each year, every county submits their data to the official statewide databases maintained by appointed governmental bodies. While every effort is made to review data for accuracy and to correct information upon revision, CJCJ cannot be responsible for data reporting errors made at the county, state, or national level. View known data limitations and adjustments »